There will be a "Positioning" video on the homepage that explains what Crunchers is, and more importantly what we are not. This is going to be animated and should be ready by the middle of July. But, we will also be releasing "content" videos on the topics you mentioned.
We've done quite a bit of testing and we have not found it easy to get a good product. There is the content/script, picture quality/lighting, audio and post production. Most of the videos we have seen look very unprofessional and do more damage than good.
I've watched a few, I like the idea of seomoz's whiteboard friday. It's got a natural feel to it I like. It doesn't look false and scripted. I like a conversational style rather than advert style.
I had a look at Friday Whiteboard and that's excellent; good content and professional. By this I mean a nice in and out, sounds quality and lighting. I'll be interested to see how you get on.
I've also been thinking about having video on my site (once I'm qualified!).
Kris, are you planning to have video on your website as a way of driving potential customers to your site, or to help / inform your existing customers about running their businesses more efficiently?
Clearly, accounts / business management etc videos will enhance the value of the site to business owners wherever they are in the UK. However, how many of these business owners will be part of your local business community, which I presume is your principal target market.
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.................just an ICB student, at the moment.
Hi Ray, it's a bit of both really. Mainly I'm trying to increase the 'stickiness' of my site, and have visitors return with either the intention of converting them to clients, or having them tell friends about the site. I have a first draft which isn't live on the site yet, but I'd appreciate any feedback and constructive critisism. www.kmbookkeeping.co.uk/cashflow_video.php
Pretty good chat Kris. Did much better than I would have.... And you're much more casual than I am. I wear a suit and tie even when I'm going to exams!
Couple of very minor editing hickups where the cut scene cuts in before you've finished talking but those were inconsequential and really not worth changing. Also slow down when you read out your telephone number at the end and maybe also put that on the credits along with the website.
As for general constructive critisism, I think that before you do the next one you should choose a better backdrop. Maybe a plain wall or whiteboard? The current backdrop has a home sauna sort of feel to it which I think detracts a little from the message.
Actually, on that point, vistaprint do some big lawn signs. Maybe get one of those with your logo on as a backdrop?
Anyway, those incredibly minor points aside, well impressed matey. What have you got lined up for number two?
kind regards,
Shaun.
P.S. caught a bit of the board game guy after your video. He's very slick but not sure that you want to associate your site with that guy. The pushing a game that he's invented reminded me a little of Lillies Dad off How I Met Your Mother plus it didn't actually seem to be a game but rather an introduction mechanism to investing.
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Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
I think the video is great. It explains cashflow very well, and the video itself is well presented. Can't fault it, really.
As I said before I've been looking at using video to drive traffic to my site, and I'm not sure this type of video, on its own, will bring you a sufficient stream of good qualified customers, which I'd guess is what you are hoping for.
Having said that if I wanted to establish myself as some sort of 'business guru/consultant' then this is definitely the sort of video I would make.
If I / you want to get the attention of businesses in my target area then would it not be better to create compelling content of specific interest to local businesses? Such content might include local business news, interviews with local business owners and so on. This might mean developing a second website for this, that is clearly linked to and sponsored by your bookkeeping website. Perhaps it could be an Ayrshire business news type site (where they can subscribe to your Ayrshire business email newsletter, too) for example. Then you will have a pool of local businesses visiting your site that you can start selling your own business services to.
I am not saying I have all of the answers but I think something like that might be more efficient at getting the attention of local business.
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.................just an ICB student, at the moment.
Bob - That's incredibly diplomatic of you. I had a teacher who used to tell me A for effort, F for achievement. Is that along the same lines as your comment?
Ray, I can see where you're coming from. The video's are not really client recruitment tools, just really to pull in some traffic and to keep those who visit returning. I guess creating a sort of go to site for local businesses could be useful, but it sounds like it could easily start to detract from the core business.
@Kris - we've done quite a bit of research on videos and not released any because we are not happy with what we have produced. So, I really do mean well done. A for effort but not F for achiement.
I am comparing yours to SEOmoz (and some others I've seen) and my take is that to get to the level I'd be happy with we need:
Careful scripting
Development of presentation skills
Lighting and audio
Post production
It is not easy and the style you have done means you are compared to a newsreader. This is a high bar to jump.
You're absolutely right Bob. The audio isn't the best. The first video I made I only showed to friends and the feedback was that it was obvious I was glancing to the right (I had bullet points on a whiteboard to the back and right of the camera) so I decided to throw the script away, this may have been a mistake. Regarding lighting, I recorded it in my office so had limited options. I do have a few clients who do photography so I may be able to negotiate some use of their studio with professional lighting and plain backgrounds in future.
I did think about more of a one way conversational style talking to someone off camera and to the side, similar to your franchise videos.
@Kris - we've allowed circa £500 for the camera and circa £500 for lighting (including screens). But, this is minimum entry level and there are things you can do (circa £1,000) to make yourself sound like a DJ. Sound really is important.
The camera we used in the interview videos wasn't really good enough and the lighting was poor. But, the post product made the best of it.
In terms of scripts, I'd recommend developing a framework and then learning the script word for word (like a pro would) so you can appear natural. Or, learn/practice with a Teleprompter. I'd also recommend a screen background.
The camera I'm using was about £400 a few years ago, I accept that things have moved on in the last 3 years. The backgrounds I will look at and the lighting. I think an external microphone would help a lot and if I will look at these too.
